Why Our Library Should Not Be Merged with Lachute’s

If the agreement is signed with Lachute, it will be impossible to go back for at least 15 to 20 years because the Ministry of Culture will not subsidize Brownsburg-Chatham for a new library.

The library service costs $ 40 per head pipe in Lachute, $ 18 in Brownsburg-Chatham. If Lachute serves Brownsburg-Chatham for $ 11 per capita Dinel as promised during the election campaign, it will be for how long? The citizens of Brownsburg-Chatham will have given up power to decide on future budgets.

Brownsburg-Chatham will lose its subsidies to the profit of Lachute.

If Brownsburg-Chatham is a branch of Lachute, imagine how St. Philip or Pine Hill would ever have a local service?

The Ministry of Culture has been clear, Brownsburg-Chatham must maintain a branch. So, Brownsburg-Chahtam will have to build a new library anyway since we are told that the arena is outdated.

The greater the distance, the less people visiting the library, which is equivalent to an investment less profitable. Imagine how will teens go to the library Lachute by foot? The elderlies?

Inter-library loans are not faster in Lachute than Brownsburg-Chatham. Brownsburg-Chatham has access to Réseau BIBLIO, which is a larger network than Lachute’s. Even if Brownsburg-Chatham becomes autonomous, it could chose to continue to benefit from the services Réseau BIBLIO, whose Web portal represents significant cost and time resources that could be saved.

It’s killing the downtown Brownsburg-Chatham while studies show that each dollar spent on the library brings $ 3 to $ 6 in economic returns. Total profits are $ 75 per capita. A library traffic increases and benefits the surrounding businesses.

A library is a showcase for the city and gives us a picture of what it is. It has an identity. It helps attract new residents. It contributes to the quality of life. It combats the dropout rate.

The Internet café in Brownsburg-Chatham is busy and fills a need. In addition, studies show that access to the Internet has encouraged the desire to learn and has increased library use.

The operating budget of a library up to standards is around 2% of our total budget. If we were to have a library the size that fits our population, this would require of every citizen three annual payments of $ 35. This investment has already been budgeted as part of a three-year capital plan.

Our library in facts:

The number of library users has increased by 44% from 2004 to 2009.

The attendance has increased by 130 % from 2004 to 2009.

An average of 69 people visit the library every day.

An average of 98 books are loaned every day.

Each member of the library borrows 36 books per year, which is more than the avarge of 22,8 for the rest of the Laurentians.

The library allows the users to save $972, should they have bought the books instead of borrowing them.

The number of hours spent on the Internet has quadrupled from 2005 to 2006.

In Brownsburg-Chatham,

my library, my choice!

We say NO to a merger with Lachute’s library.

Brownsburg-Chatham is not Lachute’s outlet!

We expect a large number of citizens to protest in front of our municipal library
on 200 MacVicar on Saturday June 4, 2011 at 2:00 PM.